Wabash 17, Ohio Wesleyan 14

Oct. 2, 2004

Sophomore halfback Nick Rice (Dublin/Scioto) scored on a 12-yard run to give Ohio Wesleyan a 14-9 fourth-quarter lead, but Wabash rallied with a touchdown to take a win in the Bishops' North Coast Athletic Conference opener on Saturday in Crawfordsville, Ind.

Rice's 12-yard run capped a 6-play drive that was set up by a 9-yard punt return by senior defensive back Brian Gamble (Massillon/Perry), giving the Bishops the ball at the Wabash 32. Ohio Wesleyan ground out one first down, that coming on consecutive carries by senior fullback Nathanael Jonhenry (Berea), the second on a fourth-and-one call from the Little Giant 23. Senior halfback Eric Indiciani (Delaware/Olentangy) then picked up 6 yards to the Wabash 12, setting up Rice's TD run. Junior Jason Whitcomb (Wauseon) added the point after to give Ohio Wesleyan a 14-9 lead with 13:19 left in regulation time.

Wabash answered on its next possession, with Russ Harbaugh and Chris Ogden doing most of the damage. Harbaugh connected with Ogden for 19 yards and a first down at the Bishop 31, and on third-and-9 in the ensuing series of downs, Harbaugh found Brandon Clifton for 14 yards and a first down at the Bishop 16. Ogden carried on the next 6 plays, including a fourth-and-one carry from the Ohio Wesleyan 7 that saw him gain 2 yards and the first down, and then on third-and-goal from the Bishop 1, Harbaugh got over for the go-ahead score. Harbaugh then passed to Clifton for a 2-point conversion that gave Wabash a 17-14 lead with 7:24 to play.

Ohio Wesleyan picked up one first down on its next drive, with Jonhenry picking up 3 yards on a fourth-and-1 carry from the Bishop 42, but Ohio Wesleyan's fourth-down magic ran out on the next set of downs as Indiciani was tripped up for a loss on fourth-and-2 from the Wabash 47 with 4:17 to play.

The Bishops were able to force Wabash to punt and got the ball back at their own 11-yard line with :43 to play. Junior quarterback Ryan Sir Louis (Hinckley/Highland) passed for one first down, connecting with junior split end Colby Welanetz (Carlsbad, Calif.) on Ohio Wesleyan's first play, but the threat ended when Wabash's Billy King intercepted a Sir Louis pass at the Bishop 46 and the Little Giants ran out the clock.

Wabash took a 3-0 lead on its first possession of the game, driving to a first down at the Bishop 19 before the Ohio Wesleyan defense stiffened, and Mark Server came on to boot a 28-yard field goal with 12:21 left in the first quarter.

Ohio Wesleyan took the lead early in the second quarter. Gamble's 14-yard punt return gave the Bishops excellent field position at the Wabash 42, and 7 plays later, the Bishops were in the end zone. Ohio Wesleyan converted a pair of third-down situations in the drive, with Sir Louis connecting with Welanetz for 26 yards on third-and-11 from the Little Giant 43, and then Indiciani gaining 9 yards on third-and-3 from the Wabash 10. On the next play, Sir Louis went over from 1 yard out to give the Bishops a 7-3 lead.

Wabash answered with a score on its next possession, with Aaron Lafitte's 19-yard touchdown run capping a 5-play, 66-yard drive.

Freshman linebacker Chad Ellis (Dublin/Scioto) recovered a Wabash fumble late in the first half, setting up the Bishops at their own 32-yard line. Junior fullback Tony Anderson (Westerville/Thomas Worthington) broke loose for 11 yards and Rice picked up 24 to move Ohio Wesleyan into scoring range, but with a second-and-5 from the Wabash 11, the Bishops were called for holding, and after a 2-yard completion from Sir Louis to Rice and an incomplete pass, Whitcomb came on for a 37-yard field goal try, which went wide left in the closing seconds of the half.

Rice led the Bishops with 55 yards on 9 carries, while Jonhenry finished with 44 yards on 11 rushes. Sir Louis completed 6 of 17 passes for 52 yards, with Welanetz and Rice each catching 2 passes.

Lafitte picked up 76 yards on 14 carries for Wabash. Dustin Huff completed 10 of 17 passes for 95 yards and Harbaugh was 3-for-6 for 42 yards.

Junior linebacker Jeff King (Sidney/Piqua) led the Bishops with 14 tackles, while senior defensive tackle Stephen Greene (Mansfield/Senior) had 7 stops, including a sack; and sophomore defensive end Owen Case (Marion/River Valley) also had 7 tackles.

Back to the top Battling Bishop Athletics page
   
Season Overviews | Fall Schedules | Winter Schedules | Spring Schedules
Team Rosters | Team Statistics | Coaching Staff | Facilities & Maps
Sports Releases | History | Questionnaires | Photo Galleries | "W" Association
 
OWU Home | Search | Info & Tickets | Fall Scores | Winter Scores | Spring Scores
 
Sports Information | Tel: 740-368-3698 | E-Mail: owusport@owu.edu
Mowry Alumni Center, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH 43015
 
What do you think about this site? Fill out a quick feedback form.
 
Copyright © 2004 Ohio Wesleyan University. All rights reserved.
Send Web site questions and comments to websrvcs@owu.edu.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Issues | Affirmative Action